


By Moonlight

by tacky



Category: Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Genre: Asexual Relationship, Canon-Typical Violence, Explicit Language, F/F, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pre-Main Quest, Slow Burn, Useless Lesbians, follows the dawngaurd questline, no betas we die like men, probably
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-02
Updated: 2020-12-28
Packaged: 2021-03-09 00:54:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,077
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27342328
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tacky/pseuds/tacky
Summary: Alendriah Steel-Breaker wasn’t a very complicated woman. Isran gave her a new suit of armor, pointed her to a cave full of the bastards that had been keeping her and everyone else from getting a good night’s sleep, and said he’d pay her for the trouble.Unfortunately, things are rarely so simple.AKA: Local herbo (girl himbo) bosmer falls in love with the pretty, tall vampire she was supposed to kill.
Relationships: Dovahkiin | Dragonborn/Serana, Female Dovahkiin | Dragonborn/Serana, Serana (Elder Scrolls)/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 54





	1. Awakening

Alendriah Steel-Breaker wasn’t entirely sure these Dawnguard types were really for her. She spoke to their leader- a man named Isran- and, well…

They were a little fervent. 

Certainly, they were eager. Maybe _too_ eager. 

But then again, she’d found herself helping the city guard fend off vampire attacks at the gates more and more lately. And after being ambushed several times on the roads these past few weeks, her sympathy had long run dry. Alendriah didn’t know much- but past all the frothing rhetoric of this Isran fellow, she figured this was a way to keep the civilians of Skyrim safe.

If it meant some family could live in peace another day, did the rest matter? She supposed not.

Regardless, morality wasn’t the driving reason she found herself named newest member of the Dawnguard. 

...Truth was, food costs money. 

Alendriah Steel-Breaker wasn’t a very complicated woman. Isran gave her a new suit of armor, pointed her to a cave full of the bastards that had been keeping her and everyone else from getting a good night’s sleep, and said he’d pay her for the trouble. 

She was already planning what she’d order at the nearest tavern. 

So, she set out to put her sword arm to use. It was a simple enough task, really. Honestly, she figured the trip there and back would be what caused her the most trouble- especially with the weather they'd been having lately. But the minute she stepped into Dimhollow Crypt, she had a funny feeling. As she eavesdropped on two vampires, she had a sinking suspicion that perhaps there was more going on down here than met the eye. 

At first, it seemed like any other job she’d taken on, which was promising. The place was teeming with the usual types- vampires, skeletons, some draugr- nothing she hadn’t swung a blade at before. But as she pressed forward, the feeling only grew. The further she got, the more she felt her eyebrows raise at her surroundings. There was strange architecture all about- she hadn’t seen anything like it in the other ruins she’d delved into. She was well-travelled, but this place was a first for her. That was enough to get her on edge. 

Then, she entered the cavern.

_What was this place?_

The arching stonework, the giant platform in the center, the menacing statues- once she had done her job and cleared out the vampires, she found herself looking around the cavern in awe. What was left of the arches and crumbing masonry spoke to an opulence she’d yet to see anywhere else. She took a moment to bask in the moonlight flooding this strange, alien place. 

She crossed the bridge to the platform to investigate further, to find whatever it was these vampires were seeking. But when she pressed the button in the center of the platform, she found herself in pain, and once again, with more questions than answers. 

First of all, she’d been stabbed in the hand. Second, an ethereal, violet light spilled though the grooves of the stone floor- and as she looked around to the oddly placed braziers around her, she realized that _oh,_ for Talo’s sake, this was a puzzle. 

Damn it. She squared her shoulders and took a deep breath as she tried to think through the pain. 

_First order of business: wounded hand._ Simple enough- and in her experience, simple was a good place to start. She held her uninjured hand to the air and took a deep breath once more. She focused her will, and focused on her pain. With a grimace, she watched her hand mend together. It would be sore for a few days, but for someone as untrained as her, she was proud of her work. 

But now was no time to start patting herself on the back. No, not in the middle of vampire den. 

_Next order of business... well. Whatever the hell this all is, I suppose._ She looked at the scene around her- the purple light, the grooves in the floor, the strange braziers- and she just couldn't stop the sigh that escaped her. 

As Alendriah shoved the braziers into place, she wondered why no one ever made anything _simple._ Just once- once would be nice. An easy job, with no traitors, no traps, no near-death experiences. But things are rarely simple.

The sarcophagus that erupted from the swirling void between the stones certainly made sure of that. She wasn’t sure what exactly she was expecting to find when she opened the thing...

Certainly, it wasn’t to have a woman of such unearthly beauty fall into her arms. 

But there she was, holding this woman with raven hair and features sharp enough to cut diamond, and Alendriah felt her breath catch in her throat. 

She helped the woman stand and thought, perhaps, simplicity could wait.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> goddammit i have school work to be doing and here i am being gay
> 
> The take on Serana in this story is that she and the dragonborn have a romantic relationship, but she's not interested in getting married. We love and respect Serana (and her boundries) in this house, so there won't be marriage or anything at the end- just two bitches being hella gay in like, a cottage somewhere or something
> 
> And I haven't played this game in a while, so forgive any lore/canon oversights. Feel free to sound off if you see any mistakes!


	2. Strange Allure

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alendriah helps the mysterious woman out of the cave.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HAHA i figured out how to make indentations on AO3!

It was just Alendriah’s luck that the woman who fell into her arms was a vampire. 

It made sense- the vampires about, the blood activated puzzle, the _sarcophagus_ \- she shouldn’t have expected anything different. But the minute the woman’s eyelids fluttered open- revealing glowing orange irises- Alendriah felt her stomach drop. 

Truly, nothing was ever easy. 

"Uhh...where is...who sent you?" 

Alendriah swallowed hard as she helped the woman to her feet. She had absolutely no idea how to handle this situation. What was she supposed to say? _Just some vampire hunters, no big deal. Hey, why are you attacking me?_

As she met the woman’s glowing, vampiric eyes, neither could she bring herself to lie. 

“A man named Isran.”

This didn’t seem to elucidate anything for the woman. She slowly shook her head, the dazed tone still in her voice.

"I don't know who that is. Is he...like me?" Alendriah pursed her lips, reluctant to acknowledge the obvious.

“You’re a...” The mysterious woman nodded as she trailed off.

"A vampire, yes." There it was. Alendriah crossed her arms. 

Might as well get this over with. 

Despite her affiliations, Alendriah didn’t want to hurt this woman- she hadn't hurt anyone yet. To cut her down, based on nothing but... what? Dawnguard policy? No. Absolutely not.

Unfortunately, Alendriah had a conscience. And it was about to make things very awkward.

Because the only reply she could think of that didn't make her feel slimy inside was the most uncomfortably honest one.

So as she opened her mouth to reply, she prayed to whoever would listen that this wouldn't come back to bite her in the ass. When she spoke, her voice echoed through the cavern, the quiet caution of it repeating across the stones. When Alendriah spoke, it was a confession, awaiting judgement.

“...The Dawnguard would want me to kill you.”

For a moment, this seemed to catch the woman by surprise. Her eyes widened and her whole posture stiffened in an unmistakeable moment of alarm. As she met gazes with Alendriah, it was like she was searching for something. Whatever it was she was looking for- aggression, malice, ill intent- she didn't seem to find it. 

Instead, she tilted her head up in an unaffected, regal pose once more. She didn’t seem to see Alendriah as a threat- no, if anything, she seemed to find this amusing. The graceful woman put her hands on her hips and looked down at her with a small, wry smile. 

Meanwhile, Alendriah got to thanking whatever deity had the chore of watching over her. 

"Not fond of vampires, are they?” The woman gestured as she spoke, her rich, deep voice filling the cavern. “Well, look. Kill me, you've killed one vampire. Good for you. But if this... Dawnguard sent you here, there's something bigger going on.”

The woman raised an eyebrow as she held Alendriah’s gaze. She continued:

“I can help you find out what that is." The silence hung in the air. It was a tense silence, and Alendriah couldn’t stop herself from thinking how much she would have preferred the woman keep talking. Again. Vampire den. Not the place.

Regardless- this was surely just a tale told in honeyed words- why in all Nirn should she believe this woman would _help_ her?

But as Alendriah stood across from this woman, she couldn’t shake the feeling. The feeling from when she entered this place. That there was more to this whole situation than met the eye. An intuition, deep inside her, told Alendriah that _despite_ what Isran would have wanted, drawing her sword wasn’t the answer. It was an intuition that had yet to fail her. So she would listen to it.

Divines, this woman- this tall, elegant, mysterious woman- perhaps it was no intuition at all. Perhaps, Alendriah was just a fool. If so, she was about to open her mouth and prove it. 

“Where do you need to go?”

She may have been internally hitting herself upside the head for that one, but her words- despite their wariness- did not go unappreciated. A little bit of the hardness in the woman’s face fell away, and her shoulders seemed to relax. 

"My family used to live on an island to the west of Solitude. I would guess they still do. By the way…” The woman gave another small smile- still reserved, still cautious- but a smile nonetheless. Her voice was warmer, more gentle than before. 

“My name is Serana. Good to meet you."

The two shook hands, and Alendriah- fool of an unprecedented caliber- felt her heart skip a beat. 

“Alendriah. Steel-breaker.” She wasn't sure why she was smiling back. 

Before she could get _too_ lost in the mysterious gaze of this woman, Alendriah took her hand back. As she looked around the cavern scanning for an exit, she took care to stand up a little straighter. 

“Let’s get out of here.”

She soon discovered that Serana was no coward. Not two minutes had passed before one of the strange statues- similar to the ones she'd seen before- burst to life. It roared and lunged at them, and Serana helped her be rid of it- no questions asked. As a spike of ice shot through the air and pierced its chest, Alendriah couldn’t help but be a little impressed. 

They fought against another one of these stone guardians, and somehow, they were already starting to fall into a rhythm. 

Alendriah would draw the statues's ire, taking its blows and getting her hits in when she could, and Serana’s magic would do the rest.

_Good thing this new armor was sturdy._ In something lighter, she was sure she'd have been torn apart in seconds. But somehow, she made it through the fight all in one piece. Once they emerged victorious, Serana shook her head and murmured something about _“damn gargoyles.”_

Alendriah raised an eyebrow. 

“That’s what these things are?” The woman made a face.

“Yeah. Made of enchanted stone. They were everywhere at my family’s home.” Alendriah huffed gracelessly, sheathing her sword as she curled her lip at the one at her feet. She didn’t bother to keep the gruffness from her voice. 

“Pain in the ass is what they are.”

The cave was silent save for the small, breathy laugh Serana gave at that. 

As they pressed further, entering the next room, Alendriah tried to fill the silence once more. 

“So...how long were you in that thing?”

As Serana looked for some way to get the barred gate open, she spoke. 

"Good question. Hard to say. I...I can't really tell. I feel like it was a long time.” She turned to Alendriah. “Who's Skyrim's High King?"

Alendriah scoffed and shrugged. 

“Hell if I know. They’re still arguing about it.” Serana rolled her eyes at the information. 

"Oh, wonderful. A war of succession. Good to know the world didn't get boring while I was gone. Who are the contenders?"

Alendriah wasn’t one for politics- she knew all too well the damage it did- the way she saw it, there was no good way out of the situation this shit province had gotten itself into, and the less time she spent thinking about it, the better off she was. 

She took a deep breath as she got ready to explain why everyone was squabbling nowadays. 

“Well, the Empire supports Ellisif, but Ulfric St-”

"Wait, Empire? What... what empire?"

_What empire?!_

“The... Empire." Nothing. The blank look on Serana’s face suggested that wasn’t ringing any bells for her. _But...how could it not? Who doesn’t know about the Empire?_ Alendriah tried again. "...From Cyrodiil?”

Serana practically balked.

_"Cyrodiil_ is the seat of an empire?” Serana ran a hand through her hair. “I must have been gone longer than I thought,” Her eyes widened, and she met Alendriah’s gaze once more. “Definitely longer than we planned. Please, let's hurry. I need to get home so I can figure out what's happened."

Alendriah’s eyes were wide with bewilderment, but she nodded. 

When she pulled the lever that opened the gate, they were attacked by draugr. At this point, that wasn’t a surprise. _Not_ being attacked by undead was more surprising in a place like this. 

The next room was even worse. With the ring of undead in the enter of the room rising to greet them, they had their work cut out for them. It wasn’t an easy fight, nor a quick one, but… it was nice. Having someone watching her back. When the shout of a draugr sent her flying across the room, she wasn’t quite so terrified that those were about to be her last moments, as she struggled to get to her feet with a wince and a grunt.

Serana cast her magic, bringing the thing to its knees before it could reach her. The rest was easy. Alendriah’s sword swung true, burying itself in its chest. The ghostly glow of its eyes faded. It went limp, collapsing on the cold stone floor.

Once more, they were alone again.

After prying her blade from the desiccated chest cavity it was lodged in, Alendriah turned once more to this mysterious woman. 

“So, why were you locked away?”

Wrong question. Serena immediately stiffened, suddenly reluctant. Her pale hands came together, fidgeting, as she spoke. 

"I'd... I'd rather not get into that with you. If that's all right. I'm sorry, it's not that... it's just that I don't know who I can trust yet.”

Alendriah gave a mute nod at that. The woman continued.

“Let's get to my home, and I'll have a better sense of where we all stand."

It stung. It shouldn't have stung, but it did. She didn’t take it personally- _obviously,_ the vampire didn’t trust the vampire hunter- but there was an undeniable pang in her chest at the words. 

... Alendriah was a fool. 

Soft spot for deep-voiced women aside, there was something afoot in Dimhollow Crypt. And from what she’d seen so far, this Serana woman wasn’t the mastermind. She seemed more... an unwitting pawn. She seemed lost, confused, wary. Alone in the world. 

Alendriah was familiar with the feeling. 

As she struggled with a locked chest, she looked up to Serana where she knelt. Serana had something like incredulousness on her face as she watched. Before she could think better of it, Alendriah gave something like an indignant scoff.

"What? Stuff's valuable. Woman's gotta eat, you know."

Serana seemed amused, but said nothing. When the lock clicked and Alendriah pushed the lid open, she changed the subject. 

“Tell me about your home.” This seemed to be a better question. Serana relaxed, but as she went on, her brows furrowed more and more.

"It's on an island near Solitude. Hopefully we can find a boat to take us there. It's my family home. Not the most welcoming place, but depending on who's around, I'll be safe there."

_Depending on who’s around?_ Alendriah’s head tilted to the side as she rifled through the underwhelming contents.

“Someone you don't want to see?”

"My father and I don't really get along.” Immediately after speaking the words, Serana made a face. “Ugh, saying it out loud makes it sound so... common. _‘Little girl who doesn't get along with her father.’_ Read that story a hundred times."

So had Alendriah, but she’d also lived it. Ever since the civil war broke out…

Home just hadn’t been the same. 

She stood and turned to meet Serana’s gaze, her lips pursing for a moment. She spoke carefully, but not without compassion. 

“Family... Family’s complicated, Serana.”

Serana scoffed and crossed her arms, but her disdain seemed to be directed at the truth of the statement, rather than any dismissal of her.

“Damn right it is.” 

The rest of the cave was explored in silence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A lot of the dialogue has been pulled from the game, but as the story continues, I aim to step away from that
> 
> Also, sound off on the work skin! It looks good enough on mobile, but if you desktop folks are having trouble, let me know!


	3. Fresh Air

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alendriah and Serana make the trip to Volkihar Castle.

"Ah, it's so good to breathe again! Even in this weather, it's better than the cave." The night was cold and snowy around them. As Alendriah took in a deep breath, she couldn't help but agree. Fresh air was nice, icy wind be damned. 

After allowing herself a moment to enjoy the change of scenery, Alendriah turned to Serana. 

“You said your home was where?” But before Serana could respond, Alendriah pulled out a beaten, worn map, beckoning Serana closer. 

_Easier just to point to it,_ she figured.

But as Serana came to her side and looked over the map, they both seemed to silently realize doing this by moonlight was a fool’s plan. Serana lifted a hand in the air, and suddenly, they were bathed in a soft, radiant light.

Alendriah never much of a gift for magic, which suited her just fine. But seeing someone who had learned it so well use it with such grace- she couldn’t help but feel a little awe as she looked over at the sight.

Alendriah turned her gaze back to the map. 

“Show me.”

As Alendriah watched a pale finger point to a spot on the Haafingar Coast halfway across Skyrim, she realized just how far in over her head she was. She felt her lips tighten as she suppressed a sigh. 

Serana seemed to have similar reservations- when she spoke, there was something like an apology in her voice.

“It’s a bit of a walk.” Alendriah gave a small, gruff laugh at that, rolling up the map once more. 

“A little legwork won’t kill us. Let’s go.”

And so, they headed west.

At first, it was a quiet journey as they cut through the mountain. It left Alendriah alone with her thoughts. Usually, that was paradise for her, but no, not tonight- tonight, her thoughts seemed to be wandering in all sorts of directions, and none of them particularly helpful. 

How did she look? She didn’t smell _too_ much like draugr, did she? Was she being too quiet? Should she be talkative instead? What should she say? And did Serana _have_ to stand this close? To reach for her hand when they stepped over the jagged rocks? 

_Divines have mercy on my poor soul._ Alendriah grimaced. This wasn’t helpful. The last thing she needed right now was to go tripping over herself for another pretty face.

As they passed a bush, Serana broke the silence.

“Did you know snowberries are one of the few alchemical ingredients that can protect you from all the elements?”

Alendriah paused and looked down at the bush with a frown. 

“No. Didn’t know that.” After a moment, she looked back to Serana and ventured a question.

“Anything else they’re used for?”

“Enchanting potions, mostly.” Alendriah gave a silent nod at that. She couldn’t mix a potion to save her life, and apparently, it was hurting her conversation skills. As they continued through the mountain, she finally found words.

“You do a lot of alchemy?”

Serana smiled.

“Yeah, back home. With my mother. She taught me everything I know.” But after that, the smile didn’t last much longer. It faded into something more melancholy. Alendriah pushing her messy, windblown hair out of her face.

“So. That thing on your back-”

“It’s an Elder Scroll, and it's mine."

That gave Alendriah pause, her dark eyes narrowing as she thought.

“Wh- Why do you have an Elder Scroll?”

At that, Serana wrung her hands once more. She didn’t seem to enjoy her lack of disclosure. 

"It's... complicated.” Alendriah held her tongue, despite the very real urge to roll her eyes and ask what about this situation _wasn’t_ complicated. Instead, she just raised an eyebrow, waiting for Serana to continue. Serana just shook her head. 

“I can't really talk about it. I'm sorry." 

… And that seemed to be all she had to say on the matter. After a moment of frowning, Alendriah gave a curt nod and spoke again, brows still furrowed. 

“Is it... fragile? Do we need to be careful with it?”

Serana’s laugh filled the night air around them. 

At least with this weather, Alendriah could tell herself the only reason she was so flushed was because of the cold. Serana gave a confident smile, her hands coming to her hips.

 _"Nothing_ can destroy an Elder Scroll. Worry more about protecting your hide, and let me worry about my things."

At that, Alendriah gave a noncommittal grunt.

Once they found the road, things got easier- on all fronts. The terrain was more even, the mood was less tense, and the wind had finally calmed. There was peace in the night as Serana asked questions about Tamriel today. 

Apparently, much had changed, but Alendriah certainly wasn’t the one who could answer her questions. History wasn’t ever a subject she concerned herself with. Mercifully, the conversation didn’t last long- she imagined all her _uhhhs_ and _I-don’t-knows_ were getting a little repetitive. So when voices cut through the trees, it was almost a relief that Alendriah found herself bringing a hand to her lips.

Good thing she had, too.

The voices were Thalmor. The soldiers, talking amongst themselves as they headed their way, were unaware of their presence so far. Four of them, it looked like. Foot soldiers. Alendriah pursed her lips- a fight with them wouldn’t be a death sentence...

But they were Thalmor. They had officers to report to. And if they didn’t arrive at their destinations? Would that be looked into? Alendriah didn’t know, and she definitely didn’t want to find out. At the very least, it seemed naive to assume that it would just be chalked up to “wildlife.” 

Maybe it would be. That would be nice. But then again, maybe it wouldn’t- and that was a risk. 

Right now, Alendriah was taking enough risks already. The last thing she needed was a Thalmor problem on top of it all. So, with some hesitation, she spoke, her voice low enough for only Serana’s ears. 

“Stay close and follow my lead.” Serana’s eyes darted from Alendriah to the figures in the distance and nodded. As Alendriah looked back at Serana, she realized that she had forgotten one very important detail:

“The Elder Scroll! Take it off!” Before Serana could protest, Alendriah spoke again in a rushed whisper. “You want to explain that to them?”

Serana seemed to see sense in that- reluctantly, but with haste- she took the Scroll from her back and laid it down in tundra grass off the side of the road, behind a crumbling stone wall. 

Alendriah took a moment to ready herself. The soldiers rounded the bend, turning east- their direction- at the fork in the road. 

Their best option was to just… act natural. Hope they weren’t worth the trouble.

Of course, with her luck, that was a very outlandish hope to have.

“Halt!” The _second_ they were noticed, they were stopped. 

The soldiers made their way to where Alendriah and Serana stood. The one in front looked them over with a sneer.

“And just what are you two doing out in this hour?” His hand came to rest on the hilt of his blade. Alendriah felt her mouth go dry. She was hardly a smooth talker. Suddenly, this idea didn’t seem as good as it had earlier. Before she could respond, another one scoffed. 

“Look at the armor, you dimwit! What do you think?” There was a resounding clang of metal when he punched the other in the arm.

The first one huffed, shooting a look back to his colleague before turning to her again. He looked her up and down once more. 

“Dawnguard, are you?” 

Alendriah gave a stern, disciplined nod. A third one, carrying the torch for the group, spoke up.

“Hmph. At least you rubes are making yourselves useful.” Alendriah only grunted at that.

The first shifted his gaze to Serana. 

“... And where exactly are you going? In the company of a vampire?”

Before Alendriah could even react, the fourth one jumped in. 

“Your fort’s the other way.” A lot of questions to answer. 

Suddenly, the way forward seemed clear. All the pieces fell into place, and she knew what she needed to do next. Alendriah gave a contemptuous snort, her hand coming to clench the nape of Serana’s neck. 

_“This one’s_ showing me the way to her den.”

All but the first gave a nod of understanding. From him, she only got a raised eyebrow. After a moment, he spoke.

“This is your first mission, isn’t it?” 

Alendriah swallowed. _Uhh..._ the only thing she supposed she could do was play along. 

“... What gave it away?”

The man looked very pleased to have his suspicions confirmed. 

“It’s obvious! You _clearly_ don’t understand the danger you’re standing next to. Vampires are tricky creatures- keep your weapon drawn. And by the Eight, tie that thing up.” He nodded to Serana knowingly. “That one will try to rip you apart the second she thinks she can get away with it.” 

Alendriah looked to Serana and feigned surprise. 

“Oh. Uh, good point sir.”

He gave an amused shake of his head. 

“Ah, to be a fresh-faced recruit again. Back when you thought you could take on the world... Those were the days.” After a moment, he straightened back up and addressed her again, a note of exasperation in his voice. 

“Do try to keep your wits about you next time, will you? Lest you get yourself killed and _we_ get ordered to do your job for you.” The one with the torch chuckled at that.

Instead of waiting for a response from her, the first one gestured to his colleagues before turning back her way, his demeanor hardening once more.

“As you were, elf.”

And with that, the soldiers let them go, marching into the night. 

When they were finally out of sight, Alendriah let go of Serana’s neck. She let out the breath she’d been holding and she felt her shoulders relax. 

“Sorry about that.”

Serana rubbed her neck, looking back in the direction of the soldiers. 

“Don’t seem to be the brightest bunch, do they?”

Alendriah followed her gaze.

“We got lucky. If there was one of those Justiciars with them...” Alendriah felt her expression sour. She fell back to her previous statement. “We got lucky.”

“Why? What would they have done?”

“Nothing good, that’s for damn sure. They’re _Thalmor._ They torture people who worship Talos-” Serana whipped her head around to look at her, and it was clear there were questions on the tip of her tongue. Alendriah simply shook her head. “But they’re gone now. We’re safe. Just uh, go get your fancy scroll.”

Serana made a noise. 

“It’s an _Elder_ Scroll.”

The absurdity of the statement- no, the whole ordeal entirely- seemed to hit them both at that moment. A hint of a smile cracked its way across Serana's face. Alendriah didn't bother to stop the tiny huff of a laugh that escaped her. They both shook their heads, in a tired kind of amusement at the whole thing, and the tension seemed to melt away. Alendriah smiled and gave an unaffected shrug, before jerking her head in the direction they’d stashed the Scroll.

Alendriah shook her head again. _Elder Scroll. Stendarr have mercy._ As Serana returned, she paused as she adjusted the Scroll’s strap across her chest. After a moment, she looked to Alendriah.

“Alendriah.”

“Yeah?”

Serana’s voice was soft in the night.

“Why are you doing this?”

The air seemed to stand still for a moment. Silence was between them, and all around them, as Serana waited for Alendriah to respond. 

_Why? Good question,_ Alendriah thought as her brows came together. She was _supposed_ to be a vampire hunter, and somehow, there she was, practically playing bodyguard to one.

But whatever Isran seemed to think Serana would be, Alendriah didn’t see. She saw a woman who’d been made a pawn, with a family she seemed wary of. She knew that kind of hurt. And she knew she couldn’t just turn her head the other way from a situation like that. There was something in her that told her it was her responsibility to see this through. 

To help someone through this, in any way she could.

To be a hand that reached out- that could be reached _for,_ when the whole world felt like it was made of glass. Like one wrong move could set everything alight. When there was no air, and no escape, Alendriah had a part of her soul that told her that at the very least, she could give _light._

She had to be the person no one ever was for her.

Alendriah turned to Serana. Her dark eyes met Serana’s curious, wary gaze. That... hesitation. To see it in the eyes of another- it only worked to steel her resolve on the matter.

Under the light of the moons, in the chill of the dark winter night, Alendriah gave her answer with unshaken certainty. 

“It’s the right thing to do.”

Serana looked at her for a long time. Her haunting, glowing eyes searched her face, darting back and forth and then back again. Her elegant, arched brows twitched. Her lips pursed, then parted. After a small eternity, she broke her gaze from Alendriah’s, letting it fall to the snowy roadside. She gave a slow nod before giving a gentle murmur. 

“... Thank you.”

Alendriah gave a bow of her head in response.

After they passed Morthal, the snow let up. Above them, the night sky was beautiful. For the first time in a long time, Alendriah felt like her luck had finally turned. 

She didn’t know what she’d find off the coast of Solitude, but right now, in this moment, she felt like she was exactly where she needed to be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I LIVE! hi everyone :3  
> I'll never cease to be amused by the trope where the enemy stops the protags, but then let them go without realizing anything's amiss. Those are so fun, and given the hijinks that happen in "diplomatic immunity," I figured it wouldn't be too far out of the realm of possibility lmao. 
> 
> Okay, real talk- those last two chapters were rough, so thank you everyone for sticking with them!!!! Means lots to me. I've made some edits to them, more for my own sanity than anything else, but hopefully it makes things tolerable for future readers lmao.
> 
> The DG questline has been hard for me to write for so far- like... videogame logic says "follow the quest marker which leads to Volkihar castle! okay!" but actually trying to justify that with real logic in a fic has been... kind of a struggle for me lol. 
> 
> but hopefully, this chapter's managed to bridge that gap.
> 
> updates might be sparse and sporadic for a bit, but hopefully i can back to this fic soon!
> 
> oh also i have a tumblr lmao https://tackythefool.tumblr.com/


End file.
